lil. 







/\ SKETCH 



LIFE AND CHARACTER 



CoL Alexander W* Doniphan 



T), C. ALLEN, of Liberty, Mo. 



I.IHRKrV, Mo.: 

riiiitcil at the Advance OIThm 
I St) 7. 






l^ 



PREFACE.,.-* 

On December 7th. 1S95, I read helon- the Kansas 
Cit\' Bar Association, l\\- its imitation, the Sketch of 
the Lite and Cliaracter of Col. AlexandiT W. Doniplian 
whieli follows these words of preface. It appeared in 
the; issue for January, 1896. of the /\'n//strs Ci/r lurr 
Monthly. 

At a recent meetinij;' (A the sui-\-i\ors of Compan\- C, 
1st Rc_L^iment of Missouri .Mounted X'ohmteers, in tlie 
Mexican War, who re-side in Clay Co., Mo., the)- di-- 
cided to jj^ive the- Sketch some i^rcater certaint}- of pre-s- 
er\-ation by ha\-in_L,'' a number of copit-s of it printed fin 
pamphlet form and strong;'!}' bound) and depositintj^ 
three copies ot it in each of the Collei:;'(\ L'niversit}- and 
])ul)lic libraries of Missouri. They decided, also, that a 
])reface should be <^'-i\-en to the Sketcli, containin;:;- the 
roster of Comp.\n_\- C with a few explanatory remarks. 
l'^)r the q-ratification of theinsel\-es and those into whose 
hands the pamphK't ma\- fall, the\- concluded, in addi- 
tion, to add to the Sketch pictures of the Cajitain of 
Compan\- C and of Col. Doniphan. The execLition of 
their purj)ose they placed on me. It is a work of pleas- 
ure. The names of the members of Company C, mus- 
tered into the ser\ice of the United State's at h'ort Le'a\- 
enworth ]\\wv 7th, 1*846, are <is follow: 

OlFICI'.RS: — ()li\-er Perr)' Moss, Ca]:»tain; Linneus 
lV)wdin Sublette, 1st, [ames II. Moss, 2d, and I Ii-nry 
Ihom.as Oj^den, 3rd Lie.-utenant; James II. Dons^-. 
TJiomas .McCart}', Williani W'allis and .\dam K. Mc- 
Clintock, Ser<^eants; W'iHiar.i Carroll Skai.:;'_q's, Geori.;t' 
llenr)' Wallis, John S. Groom and M.irtin Cdoud, Cor- 
porals; and Abraham Kstcs, lUii^ler, and Jame's IJarnes, 
I)lacksmith. 

I'KINA IKS: — ilenrx- 15. .Amnions, Parker Penthal, ]iA\\\ 

^•^t^ d^^' .(vK 

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Oliver Perry Moss 



IJriscot'. William IhmK-, [anu's liiirns, (irori^x- W. lU'll, 
1{. W. I'.mtoii, Allrii Cox, Rutus R. Cox, janu'S 1'. 
Cooper, Smith (."ummiiis, (it'orL;r W. Crowley, John (i. 
Christ}-, ),inu's Chorn, I'.dwiii W. Crapster, William C. 
Cam])l)L'll, Iliram Chane\-, Noah I'alcy Cai-prntrr, Sinioii 
i ludson Cla\ ton, AK'xamK'r W. Doiiiplian, Washiiv^toii 
W. l)rcw, lanu's llar\H'\- l),iiiiall, 'Hu'odoic I )uiuaii, 
Matthi'w l)i!ncaii, William I)uncan, IW-niamin RiK'_\' 
l^wrctt. I R-m y hJlis, I lar\c'\- W. l^n^^lisli, S])rnccr h'aii- 
hion, jamrs A. h'inlcy, Rt'\i I<"r inkliii, William l\. 
I'^ranklin, I'iiomas j. I*\'alan(l, lvoi)(,Tt W. i'dcmini;', 
(icoi-oc hdcmiiiL;, William C. Gmitcr, Iliram CrtHMi, 
Charles Ihiman, John 1). Holt, PVancis Carroll IIii!_;hcs, 
John T. Ilu-hcs, Alexander Hall f known as Dock Hall), 
Wdlard !'. Hall, James Hall, Xewton H. Jacobs, Baylor 
Jacobs, Amhx-w Job, Joseph Letchwortli, William T. 
Lai'd, John P. Lard, James Lamar, Sontlic)- \\. Lonf^, 
Ricliardson LonL(, Benjamin W. Marsh, Solomon Mc- 
Ncesc, Albert McQuidd)-, Wesley Martin, l^li Murray. 
DeW^ilton Mosby, James McGec, Abraham Miller, James 
F. Morton, John James Moore, Richard A. i\eele\', John 
Nash, John Neal, lulward ()\\ens, Jesse L. Price, [osiah 
Pence, William H. Pence. Peter C. Pixlee, William C. 
Patterson, JU'njamin I'endleton, Ximrod Penderc;rass, 
John K. Rollins, (diaries I-". Ruff, William H. Russell, 
ALartin Rin^o, Alonzo V. \\ui\d, Robert Shearer, John 
W. Sliouse, Rile)- Stoutt, ( )bediah Sulli\an, John S. 
Stor)', James R. Sitt's, iAU'xander Cunningham Scott, 
James Sanders, Robert Thomas StepluMison, (ost'ph San- 
derson, Josepli yXddison Smith, Chilton B. Samuel, W. 
P. A. Snowden, Joshua 15. Tiller)', Andrew W. Trace)', 
William A. 'I'hompson, 'Thomas Walk'r, William Wells, 
Hardin WarrtMi, John Wan-en, (iideon Wood, [anies A. 
Wills, James N. York, and John N'ork. 'l"o these I add 
Jaki' Laidlaw, ("apt. Ab)ss' ni-j^ro servant. 



With the cxccptir)ii of W'illard 1'. 1 lall, C()m]ian\- C, 
containing; l l8 men, r.ink and file, was wholly composed 
of \dluntccrs from Cla}- County. lie took the place of 
a \(dunteer who was dischart^-ed from service, throuj^h 
tlu> intervention of his father, because of minoritw W'il- 
lard 1'. Mall was afterwards a member of Conj^ress, and, 
sui)se(jLU'ntl}", (io\-ernor of Missouri. As is known, 
Alexander W. Doniphan was elected Colonel and Charles 
v. l\ufi Lieutenant-Colontd of the 1st Rei^iment. I'arker 
Hcnthall became so severe!)- ill at I^'ort Leaxenworth 
that he was unal^le to proceed with his com pan)-. 

The ])ictures of Col. Donijihan aiid Cajjt. Moss, ac- 
compan}-im( this Sketch, arc \-ery life-like as all will 
bear witness who knew tliem. That of Col. Doniphan 
is from a photoi^raph taken in Ma\', 1S79, when lie was, 
for him, in excellent health, and before the shrinkai^e of 
old aq-c had betj^un. His expression was alwa\'s ex- 
tremely difficult for the artist to catch, but the photo- 
i^raph mentioned comes nearer to the seizure and near- 
er to showing us the real man than an\- picture of him I 
ever saw. 

So far as I know, there docs not exist in print or man- 
uscript, outside of the accompanx-inj::;- Sketch, (be)-ond a 
few ])hrases of compliment in \-ei-)' meajj^re biot^raphical 
account.s of hinij, an\ estimate of the moral character 
and intellectual g-randeur of Col. Doniphan. Mine is an 
attempt, — feeble and imperfect, — to rescue from the un- 
w^ritten past and C,n\'e to the future, for the bcMiefit, at 
least, of Missourians, some cf)nception of that ij^reat 
man's personalit\- and !.,rcMiius. I do this in the earnest 
hojjc that it ma\- serve as a core around which some 
man of taste, abilit\- and literar)- leisure ma\- build a 
bioL^n-aphical monument worthv of the splendid cjualities 
of our threat Missourian. D. C Al.I,EN'. 

Lir.i'.Kiv, Mo., Jui.v 3d, 1897. 



|9^ 



V 




Alexander W. Doniphan 



COL JlfflNltl W. IDNIPMN -IIS LIFE SNG CillUCTtll, 

By D. C. Allen, of Liberty. Mo. 

Hi,i:.\.\M)i:i; William Domimlw w.is ham in Mason 
count)-. Kentucky ]u\y 9. 1808. His father, 
loscpli l)(>ni[)lian. was a native of Kini;" (jcorij;;c. and liis 
mother of I-'aiujuiei- count)-, X'iri^inia. His motlier's 
maiden name was .\niu> Sniitli, and her paternal ances- 
tor was amon;^- tlie oi-i^inal colonists at Jamestowii, V^ir- 
i^ini.i, in 1607. His tlrst ancestor in America of the 
naiiie of L)onii)han, canie from haii^hind t') \'ir_!_;inia near 
the middle or latter part of the 17th centur\-, aiid settled 
near what is known as the Northern Neck. The ij;i\en 
name- of that ancestor w-as Mott. 

It is a trad.itioii in the Doniphan famil\- (a ti'adition 
which I neither a\'ouch nor den)-) traceable and full)' l)e- 
lie\-ed b)- its members for more than a centur)-, that it 
IS of Spanish oi'ii^in. According to the tradition, their 
ancestor, who separated from the parent stock in Spain, 
was a N'ouni^ Castilian, of noble blood, who serxetl un- 
der Ferdinaiid and Isabella in the concpiest of (ii'anada, 
and w-as knij^hted b\- Kin;j; h'erdinand for L;"allantr)- on 
the field. Afterward aiid durini;- middle life he indica- 
ted a preference for Trotestantism, and to escape the 
terrors of the Iiupiisitioii and eiijo)- the freed(Mn of relii^;- 
ious belief, he aljandoned his natixe land aiul took ref- 
ui.,re in lMi<4lan(l. There he married an h"aiL;lish lad\' 
named Mott and from that union haxe descended the 
Doniphans of America. 

The name -so s])eaks the tradition — of the \-ounij^ 
ca\'alier was I )on Alfonso. This name, in hait^lish use- 
was insensibl)' corrupted into 1 )oniphan. "■■' 

A lineage which is traceable to the chi\alr\- of the 
battle field and the highest de\-otion to con\iction, will 

*So says the tradition. 



— 6— 

alwaN's command the respect and admiration of men. 
The sc\'cn hundred years o{ battle betwecMi the Span- 
iards and MocM's left the impn^ss of sii])reme couras^e, 
undoubtinq" faith and imcoiuiuerable will on the farmer, 
which easily made of them the foremost men of all 
Christendom four centuries aijo. Perhaps the tradition 
is true. If so, I can explain without looking' further, the 
tiiiLje of old romance in Col, Doniphan's character, his 
wonderfully delicate respect for women, and his stern 
adherence to sentiments of honor; as if he were bound 
to these thini^s — 

H\- the dead gaze of all his ancestors: 
.\n(l hy the mystery of his Spanish l)loo,|, 
Charge<l with the awe and gUiries of the jiast. 

All of the members of the Smith and Doniphan fami- 
lies in X'ir^inia were \\ hiL,^s durin;^;' our Revolutionar)- 
War, and those families contributed an unusually lar^'"e 
proportion of their men to the Continental army. Joseph 
Doniphan was with W'ashini^ton at \'orktfn\n, and his 
brother, (jeorc^e' Doui[)han, died for freedom at Brandy- 
wine. 

Jose]:)h Doniphan had L:;'one to Kentuck)' prior to I 779 
and remained there a year or more. While there he 
was en^aj^ed in teachin^,^ school, and he was the first 
man "who tau_<.,dit the youni;' idea haw to shoot" on the 
"Dark and Bloody (iround." Returninj^- to X'iri^inia 
prior to the siei^^e of \'orktown, he entered the Conti- 
nt'Utal army and remained in it until tlu> conclusion of 
the re\'olutionar)- strui^ij^le. .\Iarr\in<.,^ Anne Smitli, he 
returned to Kentucky in 1790, and made his home in 
Mason county. Miss Smith was a lad\- of e.xtraordinar)- 
mental j^owcrs and brilliant wit. She was an aunt, I 
ma)' add, of the late (jo\-. William Smith of X'irj^inia. 

Joseph Doniphan was for a i^reat many xi'.irs pri(M- to 
his death, the intimate frieml of the f.imous Simon Ken- 



ton. It will hr srcn. tluTcfnrc, thai tlu- suhjrct ot this 
sketch was honi (Im'iiiL;" llu' Li'riu'i-ation iinincdiatcl)' suc- 
cccdiiiL;' the conclusidu of the striiL;L;lc foi- indepenclciice 
1)\- the colonii's and the wrestin;^' ol the soil ol kL-ntuck_\' 
from the sa\ai;'es. lie was hoiai amid the odoi's of the 
forest. The tu-st tales poured into his ears when he was 
old enouLj-h to l)e intelliij;"iMit. were thost- of stern con- 
Hicts for lihert}' and ci\ili/.ation. Idle first names by him 
lisped were those of W'ashinL^toii, \\'a\-iie, Marion. Li^ht- 
horsi' I iarr\- Lee. and the whole immoital host of the 
Rexolution. lie was horn when .\meiican manhood 
was at its acme, ami tlu' same i)rofound feeling;' of patri- 
otism thi-illed e\'er_\- bosom from the Atlantic coast to 
the deepest recesses of the Western wilderness. 

Joseph Doniphan died in the year icSi^. and tlie sub- 
ject of this sketch was left to the watchcare of his moth- 
er. She was adecpiate to the rearing;' of tlu' n'ouul;' eai^let. 
At the ai4;e of eij.:^ht years she placed him under the in- 
struction of Richard Kcene. of Au^-usta. Kentucky, a 
learned thf)u_L^h eccentric Irishman, who was a q-raduate 
of Trinit)^ College, Dublin. Mr. Keene was of that \'er}^ 
considerable bod\- of educated Irishmen -ardent follow- 
ers of Robert iMiimi't— who found theii' safet\- in emi- 
i^rration to America at the conclusion of the Irish Rebel- 
lion in 179S. Ardent, enthusiastic, boiling- witli cour- 
a_L;'e, entertaining;- the most romantic ide.is of freedom, 
the\- were a denamical process in tlie liistor\- of e\'er)- 
youiii( mind l)rouL;ht in contact with them. An exam- 
ination into the family Iiistor)' of our countr\- will ckwel- 
op the fact that tlu'sc _\ounL( Irish teachers wei'c an in- 
tellectual power and blessinj^- all over the then settled 
poi'tion of tlu' I'nited .States. Col. Doniphan nex'er 
ceased the expression of iiis L,M"atitude to Mi'. Keene. 
. One who was familiar with tlu- absolute ease and ac- 
curacy witli which Col. Doni])han wreaked his thoUL^dits 



— 8— 

upon expression would he astonished .it the declaration 
that he e\er lacked for words. He said. ]iowe\-er, that 
in his youth liis \-ocabular\- was limited and his expi-c^s- 
sion clums)- and difficult. Mr. Keene assured him that 
onl\- throu_q;h acquaintance with the q'reat poets could ex- 
act, powerful, lirilliant ex])ression be acquired. Throujj^h 
knowledi^e, said he, of the ptx'ts could alone come tlie 
])recise meaninq' of words, the perfect pronunciation of 
them, the melody of s])eech. and the majestic declama- 
tion of the orator. 1^\- Mr. Keene's advice he carefull_\- 
studied the poets, and results in the pupil went \'ery 
far to prove correct the theor\- of the mastei'. 

At the aij^e of fourteen }-ears, he was entered a student 
at Augusta College, in Ikacken county, Ki-ntucky. h'or 
man\- years it was an institution of \er\- high repute, 
but. as I undcM'stand. it has not been in existence for 
quite a length of time. He graduated then- at the early 
age of eighteen \xMrs, with great distinction, particular!}- 
in the classics. While at Augusta College, he had the 
benefit of the training and molding infiuences of several 
ver)' able instructors. I mention, as l)eing among them. 
Drs. Durbin and Bascom. He constantly through life 
expressed his deep sense of obligation to those two gen- 
tlemen. Dr. iJurbin was a \er>- accomplished man — 
suave and refined - and was the author of a scholarly 
and elegant book- of traxels in tlu' I.e\ant. Dr. Bascom 
was. in his day, the greatest pulj^it orator in the Union. 
Though a .Methodist in creid, the stern theolog\- of John 
Knox was much nearer his nature. In thetimi-of Crom- 
well he would have been a Fifth-Monarch)- man. He 
was ever as if in his great Task Master's e}-e. He seem- 
ed to hear the last trumpet and to see the smoke of the 
Pit ascending forever and forever. Sixt\- }-ears ago 
"Young's Night Thoughts," a book now unread, was on 
ever)- parlor table. Dr. l^ascom seemed to ha\ e absorb- 



ci\ its protouiul im-laiicholy. I Iutc- were in his clo- 
([ULMici' a soinhrc ina^nilict'iicc and a distant roar as it 
of tlu' L^athcrin^" stonn. In 1 )r. Duihin Col. Doniplian 
.idniircd tlic man and lo\rd tlu' iVicnd, hut in I )r. I^as- 
coni lu' saw the orator and tVdt his scizun- u])on tlu; soul. 
A rradini;' of the srrmons of l)i'. Hasconi will show that 
his inlliu'nce on thr pupil w.is L;rcatcr and more lastinj^' 
th;in that of Dr. |)uil)in. It is true that in C"ol. Doni- 
ph, Ill's orator)- there was nothins^- gloomy. There was 
often, howex'er, a se\ere ma^nificencL- which could claim 
kinship with the terrors whdch peopled the imai;-ination 
of Dr. J-Jascom. There were times in that orator}- when 
men felt as if tlu'\- la)' helpless on some loft\-, naked 
pi'ak, where the li!4;htninij;s flashed in their midst and the 
thunders rolled arouiul them. 

In lin_<4'erinij;- thus on the te.ichers of Col. Doniphan, it 
is because I clearly recoi_;nize the influence through life 
of an able teacher on his pupils, and for the further rea- 
son that he himself mf)st distinctl\- saw and ap[)reciated 
it Besides, all men are, in a w-a\', chameleons, and 
take on color from their eiuironments. 

In his \-outh the predilection of Col. iJoniphan was 
for the law as a !ife-])rofession, and this w;is larj^el)- 
throuLjI'i the influence of liis mother, who was a woman 
of i,n-eat and far-reachiiiiL;- mind. L^pon quitting;- college, 
therefore, for t'ne purpose of !e!j;al stud\-, lie entered the 
law- office of the Hon. Martin 1*. Marshall, of Aui^usta, 
Keiituck}-. In the o])inion of tlie pu])ii, his lei^al pre- 
ceptor was one of tlu' most h'ariK'd and able of ali the 
members of the famous Marshall famil)-. In the course 
of stud)- recommended l)\- Mr. Marshall and re(|uired l)\- 
him ot his j)u[^il is to be discovered the first instance 
within m)- knr)u-ledjj;e, in this countr)-, of the strictU' his- 
torical method in the stud)- of the law. T'irst of all he 
recpiirt'd his [)upil to reatl and carefull)' stud)- portions 



of tlic classical authors of the I'",n!4"lish laiiL^-iia^c In this 
occupation he expended six months. It was. as Mr. 
Marshall phrased it. t.i fructify and chasten tlie jnipil's 
imagination and i:;'ive him winci's for more arduous flisj^hts. 
Secondly, he recpiired him to read the histories of l^nt^- 
land and America and co<j;-nate works so that he mii^dit 
see, historically, the e\-olution of our s)-stem of law. 
,\nd. tliirdl}-, he recjuired of him a most careful stud\- of 
those text-books of the law wliich were then considered 
necessary in order to admission to practice. These stu- 
dies consumed near three \-(\ars, and were under the e}'e 
of and with recitations to the preceptor. The proq-ress 
of the pupil was i^reat; and where thi- preceptor is learn- 
etl and skillful and the pupil brilliant, we must measure 
profTress in stud)' b}' c^enius and not by time. 

Towards the close of the year 1829 Col. Doniphan 
was licensed to practice law in the states of Kentuck}' 
and (Ihio. In March. 1830, he immit^rated to Missouri, 
and in the fore part of A|)ril of that \-earhe was licensed 
to ]iractice in this state l)y fuu' Supreme Court, then in 
session at Fa\"ette, in Moward count}'. ()n April I Q, 
18^0. he niade his homi.' at Le.xing'ton. Missouri, and 
was enrolled a meml)ei' of the Le.xini^toti baron the 2r)th 
of the jul\' succeedinL,^ lie bi'came at once, heart and 
soul, a Missourian. and e\er after so remained. 

It was at Le.xincjton, therefore, he be^^an his loni.^, 
successful and brilliant lej^'al career. The pi'actice of 
the law was tlien in the West far more lal)orious than it 
is now. Law libraries weri' few and limited, and the 
da)' of le<^al blanks had not arrived. At the aq-e of 
twent)'-t\',o 1k' was placed in collision with Al)iel Leon- 
ard, Robert W. Wells. I'e\'ton R. IIa)(len and others; 
[.^rentlemen eminent for abilit)' and leiji'al attainments, all 
of them much older than he, and alread)' expcM't in the 
manai^ement of causes. His maiden speech at the bar 



— I I — 

Wcis made in i S v^. and in didV-nsr (if a man indicted ior 
murder. He assisted Mr. l.eon.ird. Idiis w as the tirst 
trial tor murderth.it he liad e\er witnessed. I lis con- 
duct in this t!-i.d wa-^ modest, ai>d L;a\e clear exidence 
of tlu' dawning;' of the reputation as a criminal lawN'er 
which hv vcvv soon aftt'i'wartl acijuired. 

In iS^^ he remoxcd to Ial)ert\', Missouri, where he 
made his home for the SLicceedin^- thirty _\-ears. There 
he found, alread\- established in the ])ractice, those em- 
inent lawyers, l)a\id R. Atchison, Amos Rees, James 
M. I Iu_L,dies and ( jen. Andrew S. IIui(hes. llis experi- 
ence at Lexin,i4-ton had been preparator\-; at Lil)ert)- his 
reputati(^n attaineil its zenith. Nor was the state of s(^- 
ciet\- tliere at the time unfaxorable to the ile\eloi)ment 
of an\- of the maid\-, social or mental c[;ialities. 

I feel sure that I will be excused if, in the l:)riefest 
manner, I rend the \eil of the past and portra\' — imper- 
fectl) indeed — the environment, characteristics, oriij;-in, 
condition and social life of the men and women of Lib- 
ert)- and Cla}- count)- sixt\--fi\e \-ears ago. h^rom the 
standpoint of art, such a poi'tra_\'al is L^ermane to m\- 
subject. l^\er}' picture should ha\'e its background. 
The facts stated by me, when not t,d<en from records, 
and all the opinions expressetl, were derixed from the 
distinguished gentleman whose life and character I am 
feebl\- sketching, or from other lips, )'et older than his, 
whose accuracx' and truth were l)eyond all doubt. 

C'la)' county w.is org.mi/.ed in i(S22, and reduced to 
its prese'Ut limits in li^.vv Settlements began there in 
1S19 and the immigration constantl}- increased in num- 
ber for fue (ir six \ears tlu-reafter. In 1S30 its popula- 
tion was 5,33s, which was, in the main, located on the 
territor\- com|)i'ised in its ])resent area. lience, in 1N30, 
the county was not a wilderness. The population, 
drawn from Virginia, Xo|-th (,"ai-olina, Tennessee, Ken- 



tiick\', Mar\'Iaiul, and in lesser numbers from tlie otluT 
states, was purelx' of American hirtli. The custonis, 
manners and modes of thoui^ht of colonial da\'s still pre- 
w'lilcd to a \er}' markcMl deL,M'cH\ The influence of old, 
well-known, leadini;- families was stron-;-. In the lart^er 
]-)roportion of cases jniblic offices were filled from the 
ranks of the men of the hii^her classes. For instance, 
its hrst circuit clerk was William L. Smith, a man of 
education and a s^entleman of distiiii^'uished bearin<4- and 
])rincel\' ele^-.mce of manners. I'opulation emii^rated in 
those da\-s l-)y families in a much larij^er de^^'ree than 
now. .V man of wealth in the older states would emi- 
L^rate west, brinL^ini^ with him not only his family, l)ut 
all his mo\'al:)lc propert}- — his flocks and herds, his men 
scr\-ants aiul maid serwmts. Some localit\- in X'ir^'inia 
or elsewlu^re would be almost exactly rc^produced in 
Cla}- count}-. That was prior to the acerbities in ]ioliti- 
c.d feelinc;' which dex-eloped into ci\-il war. It was im- 
material frcMii what state in the Union a man came. All 
were sons of the sires of the l\.(.-\-olution, kinsmen of the 
heroes of New Orleans and Lund\'s Lane — all were 
Americans — and universal i^ood feeling and brotheriiood 
prex'ailed. 

Several of the chief men of the count\- were from the 
Kast. Of ihc leading merch.ints of Libert}' at that time, 
one, C\"rus Curtis, was from New \'ork, and another, 
Iliram Rich, was from Vermont. Liberty was a little 
village of a couple of liundreds of inhabitants, but its bus- 
iness was enormous and ran.iified all o\c'r northwest Mis- 
souri. The business and leading men of tow n and ccnuit}- 
were be}ond the average in capacit}-. The}- were gen- 
erally \'oung men, of high social station in their natixe 
localities, educated, chi\alric, generous, antl had c<Miie 
to the I'ar West — the x'crge of cixili/.ation to make 
their homes and fortunes. The count\- was, indeed, on 



the x'crtj^c of civilization. l-'rom its liordcrs the cx[)lorcr 
could track his uncertain and dani^erous route only 
throuij^h the domains of savai^i'S, who were as fierce and 
terrilole as their ancestors a thousand \'cars atji'o, until his 
haltin^^ and feeble steps were checked by the roar of the 
wa\'es beating- on the western coast of America. 

I^'or the little town of Liberty, almost a hamlet then, 
a foi'tunate circumstance occurretk In 1827 the post of 
h^irt Leavenworth was established. .At that post there 
ahva\'s has been a q'reater accumulation of tr()oj)s than 
at any other in the L^nic^n. Libert)- was the nearest 
town to it. To relie\e the tedium of station life there 
resorted to Libert)' for many \'ears the choice and })rime 
young- officers of the arm}- — the Rile\'s, the Kearney.s, 
the S_\'dney Johnstons — who from time to time were sta- 
tioned at that post. The wi\'es and daughters of offi- 
cers went there for shopping purposes. The sons of 
officers were often sent to Libert)- for academic educa- 
tion. The officers of the h\)rt and their wives and 
daughters were almost as much a part of the social life 
of the town, as freel)- united in public amusen.ients, balls, 
parties and the like, as its inhabitants themselves. I^>om 
the uni(Mi of IcKal intellect with the brilliance of the 
arm)- the societ)- of Libert)- became exceptionall)- charm- 
ing and elegant. 

Lito such a societ)- and into the midst of such a peo- 
l)le Col. Doniphan went from Lexington in 1S33. He 
w-as young, ambitious, higld)- cultured, and hds mind ex- 
panded w ith ease to meet the magnitude of each new 
occasion. The faculty of read)-, powerful and tempest- 
uous speech, the flashes of brilliant thought, had come 
to him. Alreatl)- the {)eo])le of the state liad recognized 
in him the orator. The people of Cla)- count)- received 
him with open hearts. 

h^-om iS^oto I. S60 he continued in the active prac- 



— 14— 

ticc of his profession. His fame was i^reatcst as a crim- 
inal la\v\-er, and durini;- tliat period there was no crim- 
inal cause of mai^^nitiide in north\\c>st Missouri in which 
he was not retainc-d for the defense. He never prose- 
cuted. The reputation of a qreat advocate usually ab- 
sorbs that of the counsellor. And this was true to a 
i,n-eater dei^ree, {jerhaps, sixt}- years ai^o than now, l)e- 
cause then the jur}- was more often demandetl. Me was 
employed to make the threat, the decisive, argument on 
the side by which he was retained. \'o client would 
think for a moment of excusing- him from s]ieakini;. lie 
was employed and paid to sjx-ak —he must speak. A 
silent Doniphan in a cause would have meant defeat an- 
ticipated. As a natural result of this, the work and la- 
bor of the cause, the prei)aration of the pleadin-s, the 
p-atherini^ of tlie testimon\-, the interroijation of the wit- 
nesses, etc., dexolvetl on his associate counsid, Occa- 
sionall}-, in examining- witnesses, he would interject some 
far-reachin<; question. In the councils of war which 
precede tjjreat trials, his view of the line of defense or 
attack was alwa\s adopted. He saw b\- a flash of intui- 
tion the stront:^ points. 

Not one of his oratorical efforts as a criminal or civil 
lawyer has been preserved. Opinion, therefore, of their 
power and s[)lendor can onl\- be formed from old tradi- 
tion. All traditions and opinions concur as to their sin- 
<(ular brevity, wonderful comprc-ssion, vast force and 
dazzlini^ brilliance. I will merel\- c.dl attention to two 
of his orations in criminal defenses and ijjive one opinir)n 
in each. The)- are tliat in defense of Thomas Turnham, 
indicted in the Cla>- Circuit Court for the murder of 
Hayes and tried in November, 1844, which resulted in 
his con\-iction of manslauL;hter in the fourth dei^n-ee, with 
a fme of $100; and that of John H. Harper, indicted in 
the Jackson Circuit Court for the murder of Meredith, 



— I q — 



and tried in I'lattc Circuit Court in .\o\'cnil)cr, i<^47, 
fwhithcr the case had been taken by change of \enue), 
which resultetl in Harper's acciuittal. There can hardl\- 
be a ch:)ubt that Turnham's case was one of miircK'r. Af- 
ter threat ])ressure. lie was a(hiiitted to bail and his Ijond 
fixetl at $8,000, an enormous amount in those da\'s. 
Col. Doniphan was constantl}- afraid that his client 
would disa])j)ear. The ])risoner's father, the late Maj. 
Joel Turnham, of C'lay county, was a stern, fdd-fashioned 
man, "more an anticjue Roman than a Dane, " plainly 
educated, well achised, howex'er, as to all current e\ents, 
of stroni^^ penetratiu!:,'' sense, familiar with the threat 
sjjeakers of Missouri and Kentucky, possessed of a will 
and coura;^''e of adamant; but none the less, not at all 
conscious of the fact that his was the onl_\- name in the 
state which could be found amoni;- the paladins oi Rich- 
ard Creur de Ler)n when he charL^etl the Pa\-nim hosts 
on the plains of Palestine. Kver\'thin^- melted awa\- 
before Col. U)oni])han's orator}-. At the conclusion of 
the speech Maj. Turnham was asked what he thought of 
Doniphan's speech, and his answer was: "Sir, Aleck 
Doniphan spoke onl\' forty minutes, but he said e\er\'- 
thing." 

The case of Harper more easily admitted of defense. 
Mc-redith had — 

LovL-d not wisely, but too well. 
Harper belie\-ed, whether witli or without good rea- 
son, that Meredith had invaded the sanctit\- of his home. 
Such a circumstance in the hands of a genius like Col. 
Doniphan's was sufficient to enable him to stir to the 
uttermost all of the passions and to "call s])irits from the 
\'ast\- deep." The f)CCasion was great. He had return- 
ed oid\- a few months before from his wonderful Mexi- 
can campaign, and the whole countr\- was full of his 
glor\-. l^ver\bod\- —lawyers and all, —had gathered in 



— 16— 

Platte City. — where the case was tried, — to hear him, 
and expectation of his elocjuence was on tiptoe. 1^\' uni- 
versal atj^reement he even surpassed ex[)ectation. The 
late James N. Burnes, of St. Joseph, (then of Weston) 
heard it, and declared that it determined him to become 
a lawyer. He, also, declared that he hatl ne\er heard or 
read an\- speech in defense of a criminal which eciualled 
Col. Doniphan's in that case. 

Anyone who did not know Col. I3oniphan intimateh', 
and who saw him in his prime, or even in his latter }-ears, 
would have supposed, from the larf^eness of his frame, 
the freshness of his complexion, and his erect bearin<^, 
that he was a man of vast physical strenc^th and endur- 
ance. The exact CfMix'erse was true. He was plu'sically, 
one of the most delicate of men and least able to endure 
exposure or excessive or [protracted strain. liis whole 
life was one lon<:^ stru_<j^L^le against bodily infirmity, anil 
the world knew it not. As a consec{uence, the jorodigious 
strain on the brain in the deli\-er\' of his argument in 
each of the Turnham and Harper cases, causing exces- 
sive cerebral excitement, — a flame of thought, scorching 
his nervous system, — threw him into a dangerous fexer 
from which he could not be released by the skill of his 
physicians for several weeks. The same result occurred 
in others of his great oratorical efforts. I am perfecth^ 
satisfied his consciousness of his phiysical delicac\' acted 
as a detersive on his ambition and prex-entt^d him from 
seeking those adwancements which his fricMids wished and 
expected, he fearing that on great and momentous oc- 
casions, — occasions demanding extraordinary and i)ro- 
longed mental effort, — his phx'sical man would xield to 
the pressure, and he be rendered incapable of meeting 
expectation. 

Before i<S36, the lines between whiggery and democ- 
racy, or locofocoism, had been clearly drawn. Col. 



Doniplian came from Kentuck\- an ardent whiij^. He had 
been political!}- trained in tiie scIk^oI of Harr)- of the 
West, of whose wast j^x-nius he was, throii^hont life, a 
most unqualified admirer. Politics in those tlays had 
warmth as well as now. K\ery foot of [ground was 
fouL!,"ht o\-er b}- tlie contend in^r parties. In 1S36, the 
whiijs of Cla)- count}- demanded that lie should l^ecome 
a candidate for the lej^islature. lie acceded to their de- 
mand, and was elected. The same facts occurred in 
1 S40, and \-et, ai^Min, in 1854. In the legislature of 
1S54, he was the whig nominee for U. S. senator, and 
receixed their unbroken vote. 

On December 2 1st, 1837, Col. Doniphan was married 
to Miss Klizabetli Jane Thornton, of Cla}- count}-. It 
was a perfect union of heart and intellect. She was a 
highl}' intellectual, cultivated woman, and her grace of 
manner and charm in con\-ersation made her the delight 
of societ}-. Sa\-e wlien public duty or business impera- 
ti\-el}- demanded it, he and she were constant!}- united. 
At home or abroad the}' were together. The}- were 
both insatiable readers, and tlieir evenings in liter- 
ature will alwa}'S stir delightful thoughts in the memo- 
ries of their friends. He knew and loved no place like 
liome, antl neither the m}'ster}- of lodges nor the io\-iaIt}- 
of clubs had an}- power to draw him thence. Heaven 
withdrew her from him in 1873, but it was decreed that 
he should remain a pilgrim man}- }-ears thereafter before 
he felt the stroke of the in\isible specter — 

Ami s:iii;^hi his love amid the I-',lysian ticM. 

Of his marriage there were born onl}- two children — 
both sons. The}' were }-ouths of rare intellectual prom- 
ise, and their father might well hojie to ])rolong his life 
and fame in those of his children. One of them died 
from accidental poison, at Libert}- in iS53,and the oth- 
er beneath the ani>r\- wa\es of a West X'irsj'inia brook in 



— 18— 

1858. From blows so severe as these, it can be well 
understood wh\' the life of Col. Doniphan, durint:^ more 
than thirty years before its close, was \-oid of ambition. 

Of the Mormon war in 1838, I will simpl}- state that 
Col. Doniphan was present, in command of a brij^'ade of 
state militia, at the surrender of Joe Smith, the so-called 
prophet, at h'ar West in Caldwell county, and aftei'ward 
defended him in the criminal proceedinq-s which were 
instituted aijainst him and other Mormons. 

In 1846 the war with Mexico be<^^an. In Ma}- of that 
}'ear, Gcnernor Kdwards requested Col. Donii)han to as- 
sist him in raisint;- troops, in the western counties of the 
state, for the xolunteer si-rxice. Me acceded to the re- 
quest, rhe enthusiasm of the ])eople was extremeb' 
high, and, in a week or so, the eii^ht companies of men 
had \dlunteered, which, upon ori^anization at I'^irt 
Leavenworth, formed the famous ist Rei^iment of Mis- 
souri Mounted Volunteers. The counties which fui-nish- 
cd those companies were Jackson, Lafaxette, Cla)', Saline, 
I'^ranklin, Cole, Howard and Callawa}-. Col. I)onii)han 
x'olunteered as a })ri\ate in the compan\- from Clay. The 
desire to volunteer was so ^'reat amoni^'' tlu^ counties that 
each of the companies was much o\-erful. That from 
Clay numl)ered i 18 men, r.mk and file. The subject of 
this sketch was elected colonel of the regiment almost b)- 
acclamation. There nt'xer was in the service ot the 
United States a i-egimiuit of finer material. It was com- 
})osed of imlividuals from the best families in the state, 
and the)' were }'oung men in tin- prime of life, equal, 
])h\'sicall\- and mentall\-, to e\-er\ dut\- of the soldier. 
The)' were, mainl)', the sons of pioneers of Missouri, and 
had the courage and manliness, and prissessed the en- 
durance anfl \irtues of their fathers. This regiment 
formed a portion of tlu^ column known as the Arm)' of 
the West, commanded b\- that chi\alric soldier. Gen. 



19 

Stc'pluMi W . Kcanu'}-. All of tlic troops of tlu- column 
rciulc/A-ouscd at l^'ort I A-axi-iiwort li. I'hc x'oliiiitct'rs 
having uiuk-ri^'onc a fi'w \\i'c-l<s of cln'llini;', the Ann\' of 
tlu' West conmuMicc'd its march to Santa \'c on June 
26tli, iS4f). 

It would l)e impossible to t-.xpi'ess in words the feel- 
i'^f^^' appixduMisions and hopes ol the people and ol those 
\^()Iunteers when (ien. lvearne\'s arm\' moved to tlie 
conciuest of nortlu-rn Mexico. The knowk'dL;e of the 
American people then of IMexico was \er}- limited. The 
people of Missouri knew more than an\' others, for their 
traders, at least, during;" o\e'r twent\' \-ears pre\'iously, 
had lahoriousl)- tracked <ind i-etracked the dani^x-rous 
trail fi'om Independence to Santa he, and thence to C"hi- 
hualuia. The _i;"eo^n-aiihies of that da\---old Olney and 
Mitchell — showed little JK'^-ond outlines delineatin!:^" 
Mexico and the countries west of Missouri. The}' indi- 
cated, however, very clearl}', the Great American Des- 
ert, extendiuL^ lont^ and wide between Missom'i and 
Mexico. The retjj^ions between our state and Mexico 
were Indian countr\\ and danL;'erous, and those be)'ond 
were Indian and Mexican, and still more dan_L;"erous. 
Our \-olunteers must have felt that e\'er)- mile of their 
march would re\'eal surprises and wonders. y\nd we ma\' 
liken their t'xj)ectation c^f encountering" the marvelous to 
that of Sir I'^i'ancis Drake, when, three hundred years 
:\.'j;(\ he weij^hed his anchors at Poitsmouth and turned 
the prow of his ship towards tlu' South Sea. 

( )n AuL^aist iS, 1X46, (ien. Ke.irney's ami}- entered 
Santa I''e without hrinL;" a i^am. In No\'ember, 1X46, C'ol. 
Doniphan, with his reL^iment, was ordered into the coun- 
tr\' of the Navajo Indians, on the western slope of the 
Rocky Mountains, to oxerawe or cliastise tlu-m. He 
completed this movement with ij;reat celerit)'. His sol- 
diers toiled through snows three feet deep on the crests 



— 20 — 

and eastern slope of the mountains. IL-u-inq' accomplish- 
ed the object of the ex[)edition, concluding" a satisfactory 
treat}- with the Indians, he returned to the Rio del Norte, 
and, on the banks of that stream, collected and refreshed 
his men, preparator\- to effectint;" what was then intended 
to be a junction with Gen. Wool. He was there rein- 
forced b}' two batteries of li^ht artiller)'. In December, 
1846, he turned the faces of his little column to the soutli, 
and put it in motion towards Chihuahua. In c[uick suc- 
cession followed his brilliant and decisix'e victories at 
Bracito antl Sacramento, the capture of Chihuahua, the 
plunf:^e of his little army into tlie unknown countr_\- be- 
tween Chihuahua and Saltillo, antl its emeri^-ence in 
triumph at the latter cit\'. 

After his arrival at Saltillo, inasmuch as the period of 
enlistment of liis men would soon expire, his regiment 
was ordered home. Its march, therefore, was continued 
to Matamoras, wIkm-c it took shippini.^ to New Orleans. 
The men of the regiment, ha\in_q- been discharc^ed at Xew 
Orleans, arrived at home about Jul)- 1st. 1847. The 
march of this reij^iment from Fort Leax'enworth to Santa 
Fe, Chihuahua, Saltillo and Matamoras — a distance of 
nearly 3,600 miles — is called Donir^han's l^xpedition. 

On his return from Mexico he at once resumed the 
practice of his profession. 

In 1854 a fact occurred which fully illustrates the be- 
lief of the people of Clay count)- — a belief which extend- 
ed all o\-er the state — in his uni\ersal abilit)' and fitness 
for any station, hii^h or low. On I^"el)ruar)- 24th, 1853, 
the act w-as passed b)- our leij^islature which ])ro\itled for 
the ori.(ani/.ation, support and i^oxernment of the public 
schools, and which thereafter set apai't twent)--fi\e per 
cent., annuall)-, of the state revenue for their support. 
In November, 1853, it became in'ces .ar)- for the County 
Court of Cki)- count)- to ap[K)int a "commissioner of 



2 I — 

coininon schools" for llu- count)'. H\' a sin^'iilar una- 
nimit)- and williout lhoU!j,lit of an\- one else, the i)eo])le 
of the county asked C"ol. l)oni])lian to accept the posi- 
tion, and petitioned the Count}- C"ouit to ap[)oint him. 
lie accepted the appoint nient, sax'ini;- he oui^ht to do so 
l)ecause the ])eople of the count)' had done ever)'thii\i;" 
the)' could for him. lie retainetl the position near a 
\'ear, and L^axe, 1))' his eneri^')' anil encoura!_;'ement, an 
impetus to the public school s)'stem in the count)' which 
was ne\'er checked. During' his incundjenc)', and 
throui.5h his inspir.ition, a teacher's institute was ori^'an- 
i/.ed and held in the count)', which was the first one ever 
held in vTissouri. 

In January, i86i, he was appointed a niember of tlic 
peace conference, which assembled at Washini^^ton with 
a view to pre'\'ention (^f cix'il war. Duriiii^' his absence 
in attendance on that bod)', he was elected a member 
of the state convention calletl b)' the lesji-islature, Januar)' 
2ist, 1861. In the conx'ention he maintained the posi- 
tion of a conser\ati\'c imion man, and did not permit 
himself to lose sii^dit either of the su[)remac)' of the con- 
stitution or the reserved rij^dits of the states. In 1863, 
— durinij; the heat of the ci\'il war, — he removed from 
Libert)' to St. Louis. h\\mil)' reasons compelling', in 
1868, he renioxed from St. Louis to Richmond, Missou- 
ri, and resitled at the latter place until his death. 

The orator)' of Col. l)oni[jhan at the Ijar constitutes 
onl)' a part of the basis of his farne as an orator. hVom 
his immiL^ration to Missouri until the close of 1860, in 
e\er)' canvass he responded to the wishes of the political 
part)' to which he was attached, and on the hustings in 
various parts of our state, he .ah'ocated and defended 
his ]).irt\'s principles in addressi's of surpassini;' loi;'ic and 
namiii!^'- e-Io()ue'nce. haiormous crowds met him wherex'er 
he spoke, and the people would nex'er weary of listeninij;' 



to liis accents. Ami lliis w.is not all. His addresses 
on \ arions ])ublic occasions, educational, social antl ])a- 
triotic, from his arrixal in our state until 1S72, were 
numerous. And }"et of all his mas^-nificent orations, so 
far as I know, l)ut two remain complete, and tlie)' were 
deli\ered on occasions social or festixe. In so tar as the 
the records of time — the L,n-a\in_qs of histor\- and leL,n"sla- 
ti\'e i)roceedini^s — extend. Ids name is secure. l^ut 
what of the power and maL,mificence of his orator) ? It 
rests onl\- in tradition. 

It must alwa\-s be a matter of rec,n-et that not in equal 
dei^n-ee are the efforts of i;enius transmitted to after 
times. The mi^'ht}- historians and poets are secure in 
their immortality. Homer, X'iri^il, Milton, Thucxtlides, 
Tacitus, Gibbon, will alwax's be read. The <4"reat Greek 
historian, in sixty pai^es of moderate size, sketched the 
Athenian expedition ai^ainst Syracuse, the embarkation, 
the ])assaLje of the sea, the debarkation, the beleaguer- 
ing- of the city, the assault, the repulse, the retreat, the 
overthrow and capture, with an amazini^- clearness and 
power which lia\e made his place in the temple of fame 
as stable' as the world itself. The sculptor, secure in 
his marl)le, may reasonabl\' hope that the visions of 
lo\-eliness or majest}-, l)orn of his Ijrain. ma\- transmit 
his name some thousands of \ears. I{\en the painter is 
assured that the divine conceptions which he has limned 
may be admired and judi^ed b)- the eye — and his name 
rei)eate(l — for a few centuries after he has passed awa\-. 
It is said — 

The actor, only, shrinks fnmi Tiiiic's nwanl. 

After the revolutions of ei^liteen centuries, we know 
the name of Roscius, and but little mc^-e. 

The s^race of action — the adapted mien, 

Faithful as nature lo the varied scene: 

The expressive i^lance — wliose sul)tle comment draws 



I'jitraiuH'il altrntiiiii and a iiiulc applause: 
(lestiii'i.' that marks with invcc ami fccliiii; fraiii^ht, 
A SiMiSL' ill siU'iu'c and a will in lhi)UL;ht, 
I larnmnious spi-rcii wIujsc jniic and liipiid tone 
(livi-s \(>;s.' a nuisic, scarct- cnntc-sscd its nwn, — 

How can these be comcycd to tlie mind of another 
h_\- the force; of worcls.^ In so far as action is concerned, 
what is true of the actor is equall\- true of the orator. 
Who wouhl attempt to paint Alexander W. Doniphan 
in the tr)rrent of liis eloquence on some momentous oc- 
casion? Who woukl attempt to conxey an idea, b}- lan- 
i^ua^t^e, of his i:;-rand person, towering- above all the jjeople 
— his eyes burning; with tenfokl the lustre r)f tliamonds — 
the sweep of his arm when raised to enforce some splen- 
did conception — his pure and flute-like voice, thrilling' 
e\'er\' bosom like electricity — his rapitl, explanator)- 
sketch of preliminarx' matters, each word a picture to 
the life — his conclusions, remorseless as death — liis tkim- 
ing excursions into e\'er\' realm of fanc\' — his wit, his 
humor, his pathos, his passionate energ\' of utterance? 
All this must fore\er remain unknown, sa\'e only to 
those who were so fortunate as to have heard his oratory 
when he was in his prime. 

In the absence of mental efforts preserved — which can 
be studied and meditated — in order to a proper meas- 
urement of the intellect of .Mexantler W. Donij^han, 
and a due aj)preciation of his genius, some one is 
needed who was familiar with him in his prime, that is 
to say from 1H35 ti) ICS55, ami who was himself of ma- 
ture mind during that period. I heart! none of his great 
ef^(M'ts in criminal causes. I heard a few of them in 
ci\'il cases. M)' opinion of his intellect and genius is 
formed from a copious and sure tradition, a few of his 
])olitical and public efforts, worthy, in m\' judgment, of 
the re[)utation of the greatest of American orators, the 
expressions of men of high intellects themselves, and 



—24 — 

f.iiniliar and intimate oi)ser\ation of the action of his 
mind since m}- earh'est recollection. 

Great men onl\- appear after \nn^ intervals. Kif^dit 
centuries prior to the Savior of men, the mightiest poet 
of the antique world sang the tale of Tro)-; more than 
seven centuries elapsed beffjre the Mantuan hard sang of 
.Eneas; and sixteen centuries must then roll a\va\- ere 
time was prepared for the birth of Shakespeare. Three 
hundred years intervened between the great Macedonian 
conqueror and imperial Caesar; antl eighteen hundred be- 
tween Caesar and Xapoleon. Between Thucydides and 
Tacitus are near five hundred, and between Tacitus and 
Gibbon, near seventeen hundred \-ears. hVom Demos- 
thenes to Cicero were three hundred years, and from 
Cicero to the majestic line of Chatham. Sheridan, Hurke, 
Fox, Clay, Webster, Calhoun and Doniphan were eigh- 
teen hundred years. 

The genius of Col. Doniphan can only be estimated, 
in all its height, depth, breadth and splendor, b\' one 
who had known him in his prime, and under all circum- 
stances and conditions. He must have known him in 
the field of Sacramento, v.hen, six hundred miles in the 
enemy's countr}-, he led his little arm\' of Missourians to 
the assault of works manned b\- four times their number; 
when, in the defense of some jjrisoner, charged with the 
greatest offense known to the law, in order to succeed, 
he called into action all of his intellectual powers, and 
thundered and lightened in addressing the jur\-; when, 
before a great audience of his fellow-citizens, assembled 
to hear him f)n some momentous occasion, he brought 
into pla\- the whole range of his stores of thought, senti- 
ment, eloquence and wit, transported his auditors from 
grave to ga\', from tears to mirth, with a certain di\ine 
ease and rapidit\-, and molded their opinions and hearts 
to his will with a thoroughness onh' possible to the 



<^rcatcst orator; and when, ihc cares of the tOruni aiul 
politics laid aside, at his own or a friend's fireside, or. 
beneath the spreading' branches of some monarch of the 
forest, he relaxed liis i^ii^antic intellect to the needs and 
uses of social con\"erse. and charmed all listeners with a 
flow of wisdom, humor, anecdote — strong^, }"et air\- and 
c^raceful — so rich, so \aried, so flashini^, that it would 
ha\-e made the literar)' fortune of a dozen writers. 

It is and has been the clear opinion of all who ha\"e 
known him well, that, in all the qualities of the loftiest 
intellect, — breadth of \'ision. foresight which could farth- 
est in ad\-ance discern matters that would come to pass, 
intuiti\'e perception, rapid it)' of determination, sharp 
analysis, precisic^n of judgment, corroding logic, sub- 
tilit\- of thought, ricliness and xariet}' of fanc)'. aptness 
of illustration, powerful and unfailing memory, compres- 
sion of words, ease in mental action, and intense, ner- 
ver\ous, crystalline and electrical language, — indeed in 
all the elements of genius, — he has ne\'er had a superior 
in America. This opinion I will accentuate b\- that of 
a man well able to judge and whose opportunities to 
form a safe judgment, were better than those of an\- 
man. living or dead, — I mean the late Gen. David R. 
Atchison. Gen. Atchison was a man of education, of 
.strong, judicial intellect, trained thought, had been sen- 
ator from our state from 1(^43 to 1855, and his observa- 
tion of and experience among men had been of the larg- 
est. A few \-ears prior to liis and Col. Doniphan's death, 
he said to me: "I was familiar with the cit\- of Wash- 
ington in my earl}- manhood. I knew all the great men 
of our countr}- in the earlier da\-s — Cla\". Webster. Cal- 
houn. John Ouinc}- Adams, Cla\-ton, Crittenden and 
others. I have presided in the United States Senate 
when Cla\\ WY-bster and Calhoun sat before me. I 
knew .\leck Doniphan familiarl}-, intimateh', since 1S30, 



-26- 



aiul I tell you, sir, wiicn he was in his ])rinic, I heard 
him climb hi_L,''hcr than an)' of ihcni." 

liut hii^iuT than Col. l)()hii)han's L^'ifts of mind were 
those of his heart — his marvelous humanit}'. 

A Roman said — 

X'iclrix causa l)iis |)lacaiil. seil vicia ('ati>ni. 

The (lods lo\-ed the victors, hut Cato the wancjuished. 
The nobilit}/ of tliis sentiment is the more to be admired 
because of the rarit\' of ex]:)ressions of s\-mpath\" !))• vic- 
tors for the \'an(|uishe(l in tlie classic world. He knew 
that Roman con(|uest meant the marcli of the lei^ions to 
the devoted countr)' — the overthrow and slaughter of 
opposing" armies — the siege and sack of cities — the des- 
ecration of temples — the capture of spoils of sih'er and 
gold and men — captives following at the chariot wheels 
of the triumpliant general — the sale of men and women 
into slaver}- — the pr.ctor and tax-gatherer, following the 
sword — the exactions and extortions — and his great, 
compassionate heart overn')wt'(l with pit\' tor the en- 
slax'etl, the feeble, and unha])p\'. Like C'ato, Col. l)on- 
i])lian had this wonderful compassion foi- the weak, de- 
fi-nseless and miseral:)le onl_\- that it was broadened and 
made; more tender, gracious and personal l)y Christian 
culture. To comi)assion, he united, in the liighest de- 
gree, courtes}- and modest), antl, therefore, he was ac- 
Ce'ssible to all alike - the rich, the ])oor, the high, the 
low, the stati'sman and tlie peasant. No one who knew 
hini will fail to remember with what charm he drew all 
to him, nor how a child, a humble slaxe, a modest wo- 
man, a poor laborer in tin- Held or shop, could address 
him with as nnich ease and as free from embarrassment 
as the ])roudest potentate in the land. There was no 
oppression in his presence. The great man was torgot- 
ten in the genial friend and faithful counsellor. 



In ihr xaricd circunistancrs of his life, Col. Doniplian 
exerted a wt)- ;^reat intliieiice. In ])ai-liainentar\' liodies, 
he did this mainl_\- throui^li social iiii])i-ess and ])ersonal 
contact. lie was wonderfully fascinatinL;" in coiu'ersa- 
tion, and his societx' was sought with tlie !^"reatcst eag'cr- 
ness where\'er he went. The people all ox'cr Missouri 
thron;^\'d around him when he was anionq- them, and, it 
seenu-d, the\- nex'er couUI sufficiently drink in his utter- 
ances. Perhaps there newr was a more deli^litful or 
instructive ami amusiuL;' conx'ersatioiialist. His faculties 
of L;-enerali/.ation, perception and analysis were ver}- re- 
markable. Mis temperament was p(K"tic, even roman- 
tic, but i^aiarded b}- fine taste aiul the most delicate sense 
of the ludicrous. Imleed, his mind was so well ors^'anized, 
so nicel}" balanced, its machinery so happily fitted, its 
stores of information S(^ well digested and so completely 
incorporated into his e\"er_\--da}' thouj^lit, that its riches, 
without effort, apjKirently, fiowed or Hashed forth on all 
occasions, and placetl all it touched in a Hood of lii^'ht. 

His personal ap])earance was trul\' imposini^" and mag"- 
nificent. His was of the <j;randest t\'i:)e of manU' beaut}'. 
/V stran<4'er wouki not have failed to instanti)- note his 
presence in any assemblai^e. In height, he was six feet 
and four inches. 1 lis frame was proportioned to his height, 
and was full without the appearance of obesity. His face 
approached the Grecian ideal ver)' closeh% the essential 
\ariance being' in the nose, which was aquiline without 
severit)'. His forehead was high, full and square; his 
e}'es of the Ijrightest hazel; and his lips s\'mmetrical and 
smiling. When }'oung, his complexion was e.xtremel}' 
fair and delicate', and his hair sand}'. 

At the peace conference in I .So i , when introduced to 
Mr. Lincoln, the latter said to him: ".\nd this is the 
Col. Doniphan who made the wiki march against the 
Comanches and Mexicans. You ai'e the onl\' man 1 ever 



—28 — 

met who. in appearance, came up to my prcxious ex- 
pectation." 

Col. Doniphan died at Richmond. Missouri, Aui^ust 
8th. 1S87, and was buried at Libertw Missouri, with his 
wife and sons. 

He united with the Christian Church in 1859, and 
died in its faith. 



XO 77: . 

Hcnr\- Tillery was, also, a ])ri\ate in Compan\- C (see 
preface), but in setting- up the names of Compan\- C, his 
was accidentalK' overlooked. 






im^'''^Mmimmm 




